Good Shepherds?
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
For April 22, 2018:
Good Shepherds?
by Chris Keating
Psalm 23, John 10:11-18
Not many people flock to Antelope, Montana. But if you’re an unemployed shepherd it may be just the place for you.
Antelope tops the list in Internet searches shepherding jobs in the United States. The duties haven’t changed much since Jesus’ time. Shepherds herd, graze, feed, and protect, day in and day out. No need worrying about how you’ll spend your free time, either. The job listing notes it's essentially a 24 hour a day, seven day a week job.
Bad shepherds need not apply. But that’s the problem, because apparently there are far more bad shepherds than good ones, though not all of them are wrangling sheep. Most are moguls, CEOs, politicians, or even entertainers. Even though we know the voice of the Good Shepherd, somehow we keep placing our trust in bad shepherds.
Some thought Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook might shepherd us into new and networked pastures. But Zuckerberg’s testimony before Congress continued what the New Yorker calls his “apology tour,” and showed that the shepherd of our status updates didn’t do enough to protect us from foreign interference in elections.
Others hoped Speaker of the House Paul Ryan might fend off the wolves. Yet he’s decided to set aside the speaker’s gavel and will retire from Congress in December. His decision marked an end to his role in shepherding Congress through entitlement reforms or even another attempt at dumping Obamacare.
Meanwhile, Missourians are wondering how they elected a bad shepherd as governor. Former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens won the governor’s seat in November, telegraphing suggestions that this square jawed, gun-firing inspirational speaker would land in the White House. Now, however, Greitens is awaiting trial on felony invasion of privacy charges. Last week he was denounced by his own party following an investigation of a particularly salacious and violent extra marital affair.
And then there’s 80-year old Bill Cosby, once hailed as America’s Dad, now standing trial on assault charges. The aging comic relies on assistance in walking and is no longer considered our de facto shepherd-in-chief.
Plenty of people want to be shepherds. But perhaps we should take a cue from the good folks of Antelope, Montana, and focus instead on what the job really requires. Fortunately, John’s gospel offers a brilliant sketch of just what is involved in leading God’s people toward safe pastures.
In the News
For whatever reason -- and there are plenty of them -- we are enchanted with bad shepherds. We allow them to move into our lives and soon they take over, like the children in Lord of the Flies. We elect them to office, worship them as celebrities, and allow them access into the private details of our digitized lives.
Bad shepherds will disappoint us time and again -- but still, like a family that repeats cycles of dysfunctional living time and again, we allow them to herd us into pastures which do not save.
Maybe it’s because we’ve allowed our shepherd sheep privilege to become abused or distorted. Like its cousin, attorney client privilege, which has become a bit of a trending Twitter topic this week, shepherd sheep privilege symbolizes a relationship of trust, confidence, and security.
The problem is that so many shepherds have abused that privilege. Mark Zuckerberg’s personal timeline, for example, is cluttered by more than a decade of saying sorry, not sorry to friends, employees and Facebook users. It reads, suggests the Washington Post, a bit like a record stuck on repeat. “All the while,” the article continues, “Facebook’s access to our personal data increases and little changes about the way Zuckerberg handles it.” Questions of trust loom large following his Capitol Hill apology tour, leading many to wonder, “In Zuckerberg do we trust?”
It’s not just social media, however. Take note of the way Missouri Governor Eric Greitens attempted to gain the confidence of voters. As Greitens rode Donald Trump’s outsider coattails straight into the Missouri Governor’s mansion in 2017, many began to see him as a future presidential contender. Largely unknown to Missourians, Greitens entered the campaign with ads selling himself as a a patriotic, gun-firing Navy SEAL, battle-tested and ready to lead. A vet who saw action in Iraq and Afghanistan, Greitens is a former Rhode’s Scholar who founded a charity benefitting veterans. Many saw in his eyes a fire and desire for higher office.
But shepherding has not been a particular strength for Greitens. He hasn’t formed relationships with members of his own party, a problem that has become particularly difficult for the governor as allegations concerning a violent sexual affair have emerged. Greitens has both acknowledged and apologized for the relationship, which took place before he was elected and which he claims was consensual.
The woman’s testimony before a panel of legislators investigating the governor indicated something different. Her vivid accounts described predatory behavior from the governor, including acting aggressively toward her, coercing her into sexual acts, and physically dominating the woman. Though she had intitially consented to the activities, she quickly became uncomfortable after Greitens blindfolded her, taped her hands and then pulled off her clothes. Greitens declined to testify before the state panel and faces trial next month in St. Louis on felony invasion of privacy charges.
Even fellow Republicans are now calling for Greitens to step aside.
Violating the sacred shepherd sheep privilege can be heard in the heart-wrenching testimonies which have emerged from the #MeToo movement, where untold stories of rape, assault, and harassment have emerged. But there are other examples of how shepherds have broken faith with sheep, including investigations into the foreign interference with United States elections, or news that President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer/fixer Michael Cohen is now under criminal investigation, or the horrendous images of innocent persons suffering the ravages of chemical weapons in Syria.
All of it is a reminder that bad shepherds are ubiquitous.
Add to the mix stories of political fundraiser’s paying off mistressess, billionaire oligarchs who live with little social consciousness, and the constant blurring of lines between celebrity and scandal, or even racism at the local Starbucks.
It’s overwhelming. It’s frightening. As a sheep might say, “It’s baad.”
In the Scripture
Psalm 23 and John 10 offer a corrective vision for sheep and shepherds. Though most commonly heard at funerals, Psalm 23 provides a counter narrative to the escapades and exploits of bad shepherding. Likewise, Jesus words in John 10 explicitly describe what’s involved with being a good shepherd.
Notice, however, that in John 10 Jesus does not describe or even name the ones he calls the bandits and thieves. Instead, he points those who are listening in a different direction. Those evil doers are certainly nearby and always ready to pounce. Yet Jesus is not pointing fingers or explicitly naming targets. Indeed, if we assume that his is speaking to both the Pharisees and to his disciples, then it is crucial to remember Judas is listening as well as Peter.
It’s an indicator that the Good Shepherd works differently. The Good Shepherd is indeed the gate by which all sheep -- smart, not so smart, over achievers and plain old cud chewing homebodies -- can enter and find safety.
While Jesus mentions the thieves and bandits throughout the discourse, he does not dwell on them or offer them the same weight as the description he provides of himself as the Good Shepherd. The bandits are neither specified nor identified. He does not draw up a good shepherd/bad shepherd dichotomy, but instead Jesus offers a stunning image of just what makes a good shepherd good.
The images are critical, and worth identifying. He is the gate, in whom life shall be found; he is the one willing to give up his life for those he loves; he is the one who cares for the sheep, who does not run away; he is the one who lives in intimate proximity with those to whom he has pledged his ultimate faithfulness. It is he who can be trusted, and not the hired hand that runs away in the face of danger.
Karoline Lewis, both in her Workingpreacher.org blog and in her commentary on John, offers a remarkable insight by connecting the discourse of John 10 to the story of the healing of the blind man in chapter nine. Jesus’ sermon in John 10 illustrates the power of his restoring, loving, and healing grace. He offers a parable of what love reveals, and how that love enfolds even a man born blind into the beloved community.
The strength of Jesus’ claim challenges his audience, dividing those who were listening. No wonder -- he’s more than a hired hand, more than a charismatic leader, more than a celebrity pushing a product or a leader garnering power. His love is revealed in his willingness to offer his life for those who have heard his voice.
In the Sermon
Jesus’ description of himself as the Good Shepherd is the way into this text. Rather than trying to set up a binary comparison of good and bad forms of leadership, the cue Jesus offers is a reminder of the overflowing goodness, abundance, and grace offered by the Good Shepherd. There is no contest, no comparison. Our congregations already know how long they have been duped by the bad shepherds. In this season of Easter, they now yearn for some tangible experience of the Good Shepherd’s care. Moreover, these texts also suggest just what it means to be a post-Easter church.
If we take his clue, then perhaps the narrative we might trace this week will begin with stories of people like William Barber II, a North Carolina pastor and president of Repairers of the Breach, a social justice organization dedicated to continuing Dr. Martin Luther King’s Poor People’s Campaign. Barber and others are shepherding movements and coalitions of poor people dedicated to creating change.
Another shepherd partnering with Barber is Presbyterian minister and theologian Liz Theoharis, founder of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice and a professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Recently, Theoharis stood among those she names as the coalition of the rejected -- the often competing folds of sheep blending unemployed miners from Easter Kentucky with Mississippi River delta farmworkers. They’re a politically mixed bag of folks commonly disconnected from each other. Yet Theoharis speaks with the voice and authority of a Good Shepherd.
She sees these sheep of differing flocks as one herd straining to be one as they listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd.
“The reality is poor whites, poor blacks and poor Latinos ought to work together,” said Barber recently. “We have to form in this country a coalition of the rejected, and the rejected have to lead a national revival to challenge both Democrats and Republicans.”
Note how Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson responded to the incident in Philadelphia last weekend where two African-American men were arrested for trespassing, even though they were just waiting for their colleague. “I will fix this,” Johnson said -- whether that is another verse from the Zuckerberg hymnal or the voice of a Good Shepherd committed to the selfless vulnerability described Jesus will only be seen over time.
Meanwhile, sheep have a lot of work to do. Straining against the biting wind, they must lean toward the one trusted voice which can be heard over the din of the farmyard bleating. The sheep must lean in to listen for the Good Shepherds who are willing to offer their lives so that the most vulnerable might find new life. Like Jesus, no one is doing this for them.
No one is doing this, it seems, because of trust that arises from the poignant declaration: “I know my own and my own know me.”
SECOND THOUGHTS
I Loved 'em, Everyone
by Tom Willadsen
John 10:11-18
T.G. Sheppard was a popular country singer in the early ‘80s, who took his stage name from this morning’s gospel lesson. His lone appearance on the pop Top 40 was “I Love ‘em Everyone.” Here’s part of the refrain:
At first I thought this isn’t really good sermon material for a proper, mainline congregation, even in 2018, but imagine it really was The Good Shepherd singing those same words…, when wrenched from their original context apt for how we see Christ? He wishes he could have kept us all; (That is, some of us have strayed.) “Big, little or short or tall”…isn’t that everyone? Even kids with chicken pox? Christ loves us, everyone.
I have to confess that the image of a church’s pastor as shepherd has made me a little sheepish during my career, because of our low regard for sheep. Sheep aren’t very bright; symbolically they are naïve, weak and defenseless. Sheep need a strong, vigilant shepherd to keep the wolves at bay. They need collies to nip at their heels and drive them into the fold, where they will be safe.
At my ordination I was very pleased that my friend Augusto, a native of Ecuador gave me the charge and reminded me that I had already begun toiling in the Lord’s vineyard. His accent made it sound like “bean yard,” which is much more humble place to minister. I was pleased that he did not reference my “shepherding a flock.”
Actually, sheep are sophisticated at protecting the vulnerable among them. When a member of the flock is ill or lame, the other sheep surround and protect the vulnerable one, the one predators are most likely to attack. I heard a large animal vet tell me once, “A sick sheep is a dead sheep.” By the time she was able to spot the ailing sheep, it had gone so long sheltered and protected by the other members of the herd that it was very sick. Sheep are not hunters, but their herd mentality -- at least when it protects the weak and vulnerable -- may be something we might want to recommend to modern Christians.
I have to digress a bit to Luke 15. Before Jesus launches into the Parable of the Prodigal Son and His Brother, Jesus gets running start with two more modest images. First is the shepherd who leaves the 99 to seek the 100th, because a sheep separated from the herd is exposed and easy prey for a predator. The 99 might be all right for a while on their own. But also, the point of the parable is that one in 100 matters. As does one in ten when the woman turns her house upside down to find the tenth coin. As does the one out of two sons…the focus of those parables gets narrower and narrower, yet each speaks to God’s extravagant love and concern for everyone.
(As for my being sheepish at pastoral imagery; I herd you. I wool stop the puns now; and if you don’t like puns, then flock ewe!)
Psalm 23 may be the most recognized passage of scripture. I cannot recall its first line without picturing a man I often used to see on what they now call the Red Line in Chicago. The guy appeared to be homeless, but I can’t say for sure. He would rock back and forth and intone, just above a whisper, “The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord is my shepherd…” The words were like a mantra, or a sonic security blanket. And I’d look out the window at the tenements right next to the el tracks on the northside of Chicago and wonder, when the last time sheep grazed there. A century ago? What made these words so comforting, so far from their origin?
I was called to make a bedside visit to someone who believed she was dying and wanted to reconnect with The Church. She had not been Presbyterian per se, but I was close enough to comfort her in her fear of death. I asked if she had a favorite passage of scripture, or one that would comfort her in that moment. She asked me to recite the 23rd Psalm. I did and she moved her lips silently with my words. When I stopped I asked her what her favorite part of the psalm was. I watched her face as she recued the tape loop in her memory. She stopped at “he restores my soul.” “That’s my favorite line,” she said.
“Good choice,” I replied, “did you notice that’s present tense? Right now God is restoring your soul.”
It took a while for that idea to settle. As she faced death, God was in the process of restoring her soul.
Even people who have never seen a sheep know this psalm, which can make it difficult to preach, or to find something new to say about it. Protection, security, comfort, someone watching over you
In the John reading, Jesus identifies as the good shepherd, different from the hired shepherd who does not protect the flock. The good shepherd knows the sheep -- and the sheep know the good shepherd. There’s a connection, a relationship between sheep and shepherd. Jesus says “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So that there will be one flock, one shepherd.” [John 10:11, NRSV] Sounds to me like everyone’s part of the same flock, overseen by the same shepherd, or will be at some point.
So where does the Acts lesson inform all this pastoral imagery? At the start of chapter 3 in Acts, Peter and John encounter a crippled man who asks for alms outside the Temple. Peter does not give any money, but instead, calls on the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, extends his right hand, and the man’s feet and ankles are steady and he can walk again! Everyone at the Temple had seen this man, just as people in my town see the same people asking for change in the parking lot at Wal-Mart. This commonly known, and supported, crippled man can walk, and it’s a miracle.
Next Peter launches into a sermon about how the prophets in the Hebrew scriptures all pointed to Jesus of Nazareth being the messiah, the Christ. This irked the priests, the captain of the Temple and the Sadducees. Some of the names are familiar from the “trial” of Jesus on what we call Maundy Thursday. The Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection of the dead, or spirits or angels. They only went by the written law, which set them apart from the Pharisees who were experts in the oral tradition of legal interpretation. [Sort of like some members of the judiciary favor an originalist reading of the Constitution, while others believe that the Constitution was intended to be a living document, whose interpretation would by necessity change over time.] This difference between the Sadducees and Pharisees makes their back-to-back attempts to trick Jesus in Matthew 22. Specifically, Jesus tells the Sadducees they know neither God nor the scriptures. So they were probably a little steamed when some of his followers are preaching to the whole crowd of people at the temple, following healing the crippled man. They are arrested, and held overnight, because it was late, and who had time for a trial.
The next day, our lesson begins here, the elders, rulers and scribes with Annas, the high priest, Caiaphas, John and Alexander and all who were of the high priestly family gathered to hear what Peter and John had to say.
Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and left no doubt that the crippled man had been healed by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, “whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.” Peter cites Psalm 118, but tweaks it a little, calling them out, exposing them. He says Jesus was “The stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.”
[If this happened on a playground in Peoria, Illinois in the mid-70s, someone would say, “ooh, char!”]
{And in one sense, haven’t we all been on a playground in Peoria, Illinois?}
The capstone to Peter’s sermon, however, is perhaps the third-most powerful foundational sentence for Christianity, after John 3:16 and John 14:6. “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4:12]
If you cannot preach like Peter, if you cannot pray like Paul, you can tell the love of Jesus and say “He died for all.” (There is a Balm in Gilead.)
The First John passage sort of circles back to John 13, and The New Commandment, but adds a more personal dimension. We know love by what Christ did, laying down his life for us, so we also should lay down our lives for others. That circles back to the task of the herd to protect and shield the weak and vulnerable, confident in the care that The Good Shepherd embodies.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Evil
During his presidency Donald Trump has used his Twitter account and public speeches to call many individuals by very unflattering names. Most of the time the words he uses are inflammatory. And, of course, many view his disregard for any sense of decency to be the behavior of an adolescent. But, perhaps, the President’s latest pronouncement can be lifted up as appropriate. After it was reported that President Bashar al-Assad of Syria used a poison gas, which was a mixture of chlorine gas and a nerve agent, to kill over 40 people in the town of Douma, Trump denounced Assad in a televised address. President Trump said, “These are not the actions of a man. They are the crimes of a monster instead.”
Application: Jesus was not understood and was rejected by the scholars and rulers of Judaism. They rejected the stone that was actually the cornerstone. John discusses those who seek the world’s goods instead of truth. There are many monster men in society that do not understand truth, justice and love.
*****
Discipleship
Even though Jesus instructed us that we will not know the day or the hour in which he will return, there are many prophets that seem to have figured out when that day and hour will be. It is my privilege to inform this worshiping congregation that the world is going to end tomorrow, Monday, April 23rd. David Meade is a recognized end times theorist and numerologist. Though he predicted the end of the world in 2003, 2012 and 2017, this time he is sure of his calculations. He based his prediction on Revelation 12:1-2 which reads: “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.” On April 23 the sun and moon, as well as the planet Jupiter, will be in the constellation of Virgo. Virgo represents the Virgin Mary, and Jupiter represent the Messiah. Jupiter with its red spot on its side represents the Messiah who was wounded for our transgressions. Meade believes that this celestial alignment exactly represents Revelation 12.
Application: Meade, and others like him, can continue with their fantasies. But we, as practicing Christians, are called to love, truth and action.
*****
Truth and Action
Ralph Drollinger is a seven-foot tall former pro basketball player who has become a pastor. The 63-year-old pastor describes himself as, “Just a jock with some bad knees.” He played one season with the Dallas Mavericks in 1980, but left to pursue a career as a minister. His wife Danielle at the time was the executive director of a political action committee in California that specialized in getting Christians elected to office. But Danielle became frustrated because once in office the elected officials “would soon lose their Christian moorings.” This led the couple to begin a Bible study in Sacramento, the capital of California, for Christian politicians. They were then able to expand, what they called Capital Ministries, to 43 other state capitols. When some of the state legislatures were elected to the United States House of Representatives, Drollinger began a Bible study in the House. When these representatives were then elected to the Senate, Drollinger began a Senate Bible study as well. In March 2017, two months after Donald Trump took office, the same process took place to establish a Bible study for cabinet members. The study was first suggested by Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General, and Tom Price, who was Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The study meets every Wednesday for 60 to 90 minutes. The location of the conference room where they gather is kept confidential by the Secret Service. Ten members of the cabinet are sponsors of the group, but many other government employees are welcome. Vice-President Michael Pence is an active participant. Drollinger does believe in separation of church and state, but qualifies it with these words saying, “I believe in institutional separation, but not in influential separation.”
Application: We are instructed by John that we are not only to love in word and speech, but also in truth and action.
*****
Preaching / Witnessing
I now live in South Carolina, but I am originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. So, whenever I see Pittsburgh making headline news I pay particular attention, especially when the news is disturbing. The newspaper The Times, of Beaver, Pennsylvania, reported that the “Pittsburgh region has faith but not religion.” A study revealed that while 76 percent of the people in the Pittsburgh region felt that religion was at least somewhat important, only 29 percent attended worship weekly. The study also found that 40 percent of the people in the Pittsburgh region only went to church several times a year. Pittsburgh, I am sure, is representative of many American cities. The article followed the spiritual lives of several individual to highlight the problems of church attendance. One individual was Ben Oaks. As a child he attended a small church, and then as a young adult he attended for a short time a megachurch. He found both experiences offered the same disappointments. Oaks said, “It’s something that never really struck me. The sermons were never something that was personal for my life. I think if the sermons had a bearing toward people’s everyday lives and not just things from the Bible, it might be a different story.”
Application: In our lectionary readings we read of individuals who speak and witness with a firm faith and a bold message. And we also encounter a message that is very relevant to our daily living. Let us be sure that we are bold in our witness and that our message is very relevant to daily living.
*****
Sheepherding
Simon Bramhall was considered one of the best and most proficient liver, spleen and pancreatic surgeons in Great Britain. For twelve years he worked out of Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, West Midlands. Bramhall was especially recognized for his skill as a transplant surgeon. Except, now Bramhall has pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by beating. In two liver transplant surgeries, one man and one women, he used an electric beam that is typically used to seal blood vessels, to inscribe his initials “SB” on the two livers. When the women had to return for additional liver surgery, the seared initials were discovered by another physician. Tony Badenoch, who is prosecuting the case, said that Bramhall’s actions were a part of a “highly unusual complex case” and that so far it was “without legal precedent in criminal law.”
Application: Shepherds are to care for their sheep, not beat them.
*****
Sheepherding
Patrick Reed in his previous 16 starts in a golf major only once finished in a tie for second place, and his other showings were not impressive. On Sunday, April 8, on his 17th major start, Reed won the coveted green jacket at the Augusta National. He was able to put his arms into that green jacket with a one stroke victory for a total 15-under 273. The 27-year-old Texan said the difference at this PGA competition was his mind set. Reed said, “In the past I put too much pressure on myself.” He went of to say, “I tried so hard to hit the perfect shots.” But this time it was different as he said, “I was just like, ‘Hey, it’s golf. Go play.’”
Application: Although being a disciple of Jesus is serious business, we should enjoy serving him.
*****
Sheepherding
William Booth was born in 1829, in Sneinton, Nottingham. His father was a Methodist pastor who made a modest wage. But when the family fell into poverty, William, who was 13-years-old, was apprenticed in 1842 to a pawnbroker. His apprenticeship ended in 1848. Unemployed, he left Sneinton a year later and moved to London. In London, Booth worked as a pawnbroker and as a lay preacher for the Methodists. Eventually Booth became a full-time Methodist pastor, but he did not like serving a parish church as he realized that his gift was evangelism. William Booth left the Methodist church and became an independent evangelist. As an evangelist he established The East London Christian Mission in 1865. The name was later changed to The Salvation Army. Booth’s approach to missions was based on what he called the “Three S’s – soup, soap, salvation.” Booth’s intention was to weave the message of the gospel with the practical support of meeting the immediate needs, and then helping individuals permanently improve their life’s circumstances. In what is probably Booth’s most famous speech he said, “While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight; while children go hungry, as they do now I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight, I'll fight to the very end!”
Application: As a shepherd we will fight so others can have soup, soap and salvation.
*****
Sheepherding
The 39th President of the United Sates has just published his 32nd book. Jimmy Carter simply titled his current book Faith. Faith, Carter realizes, is something the people of our nation have lost. Americans have lost faith in democracy, they have lost faith in equality, they have lost faith in freedom, they have lost faith in integrity and they have lost faith in education. These are just few of the things that Carter lifted up as examples of the faith crisis in our nation. Carter the went on to explain why he wrote his book with a one-word title. Carter said, “And those losses of faith I think precipitated my using, you might say, 93 years of experience and trying to provide the answer of what faith means to us and how can we apply our existing faith or potential faith, if we don’t have it yet, into answering these questions that face us in our daily life.”
Application: As good shepherds we try to encourage the faith of others.
*****
Sheepherding
The 39th President of the United Sates has just published his 32nd book. Jimmy Carter simply titled his current book Faith. The Religious News Service interviewed Carter about his book and other ideas and thoughts that he may have. Carter was asked during the interview to give his thoughts on the current tensions with North Korea and Syria. Carter said there was something that he immediately learned after he was elected president. Carter said, “I had the ability with 15,000 or more nuclear weapons, along with those owned by the Soviet Union, to wipe out all living creatures on earth.” Carter went on to say, “And so that still is a responsibility or a duty that addresses every president in office.”
Application: As shepherds we are to protect the lives of others and the life of our environment.
*****
Sheepherding
Pope Francis has been severally criticized by the conservatives in the Roman Catholic Church for being less concerned about doctrine and more concerned about social issues. In partial response to those criticisms the Pope recently published a 103-page apostolic exhortation titled “Gaudete et Exultate” which means “Rejoice and Be Glad.” A central theme in the document is holiness. The Pope wrote in the beginning that the document was not meant “to be a treatise on holiness,” but the Pope wrote the purpose of the document was to “re-propose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time.” In Gaudete et Exultate the Pope wrote, “Seeing and acting with mercy: That is holiness.” In another section Pope Francis wrote, “Sowing peace all around us. This is holiness.”
Application: A shepherd must be a holy person.
**********
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Speaking Truth to Power, Especially in the Faith Community
The Role of the Shepherd
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship:
Leader: God calls us as a shepherd calls the sheep.
People: We follow our God and we lack for nothing.
Leader: God invites us to feed in pastures of plenty.
People: God leads us beside the calming waters.
Leader: Even in the darkest of times, we are not afraid.
People: In the presence of God we will dwell forever.
OR
Leader: The Good Shepherd calls us together today.
People: We come seeking the food the Shepherd has for us.
Leader: The Good Shepherd guards us against those who would destroy us.
People: We trust in God care and love for us.
Leader: As God cares for us we are called to care for others.
People: In gratitude we offer others the care we have found.
Hymns and Songs:
“God of Grace and God of Glory”
UMH: 577
H82: 594/595
PH: 420
NCH: 436
CH: 464
LBW: 415
ELA: 705
W&P: 569
AMEC: 62
STLT: 115
Renew: 301
“The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
UMH: 38
H82: 645/646
PH: 171
NCH: 248
LBW: 456
ELA: 502
Renew: 106
“Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life”
UMH: 427
H82: 609
PH: 408
NCH: 543
CH: 665
LBW: 429
ELA: 719
W&P: 591
AMEC: 561
“By Gracious Powers”
UMH: 517
H82: 695/696
PH: 342
NCH: 413
ELA: 626
W&P: 75
“We Shall Overcome”
UMH: 533
AAHH: 542
NNBH: 501
NCH: 570
CH: 630
W&P: 512
STLT: 169
“Lord, Speak to Me”
UMH: 463
PH: 426
NCH: 531
ELA: 676
W&P: 593
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
UMH: 140
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELA: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
Renew: 249
“The Steadfast Love of the Lord”
CCB: 28
Renew: 23
“Your Loving Kindness Is Better than Life”
CCB: 26
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who is the true Good Shepherd:
Grant us the wisdom to seek you
and those who are led by you as our guides;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you are the true Good Shepherd seeking to lead all of creation to fulfillment. As we worship you open our eyes to see that you are the Way. Help us to seek out the assistance of other leaders who are also on the Way. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our blindly following those who lead us astray.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You are our Good Shepherd and we know that you are the one who leads us to an abundant, joyful life and yet we follow others instead. We know that what they do and say is not in accord with your ways and yet we think that their leadership will bring us to a good place. Call us back once again to your flock and tune our ears to listen to you. Amen.
Leader: God is our Good Shepherd who wants to lead us to life. Receive God’s grace and follow the Way of Life.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory are yours, O God, for you are the Good Shepherd seeking to lead all into your fold.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You are our Good Shepherd and we know that you are the one who leads us to an abundant, joyful life and yet we follow others instead. We know that what they do and say is not in accord with your ways and yet we think that their leadership will bring us to a good place. Call us back once again to your flock and tune our ears to listen to you.
We give you thanks for all the ways you try to lead us to life. You have given us scriptures, the saints, and the Church for our guidance. You have been faithful to reach us even when we have been unresponsive to your voice.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all of us who find ourselves lost and on the road that leads to destruction and death instead of to wholeness and life. We pray for those who find sickness, death and grief obstacles to hearing God’s voice. We pray for those who find it difficult to believe in a loving God because of the hatred and violence that surrounds them.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Sheep are in need of a shepherd because they have very poor eyesight. Without a shepherd they would find it very hard to find food and water. The shepherd helps them and takes care of them. Just like a shepherd helps the sheep, God leads us. Talk about the different ways God leads us. Pastors, teachers, parents, Bible, music, prayer, the Church.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Jesus Knows and Cares for Us
by Bethany Peerbolt
John 10:11-18
Jesus tells us just how well he knows us and how much he cares for us. Kids have an idea what this is like when they are looked after by teachers. Jesus’ class is special though. It includes lots of different people and Jesus loves each student very much.
If you have a whistle or a bell you can bring it to show an example of how a teacher gets their class back in from the playground.
Say something like:
When I was in school my teachers had a special bell or whistle they would use to call us back from the playground. Each class knew which whistle or bell was theirs and would listen for the signal to line up and go inside. Do your teachers have a special way to call you back inside? (pause for answers) If someone missed the signal the teacher would send a person from the class to go out onto the playground and find the missing person. Sometimes if lots of teachers signaled at the same time kids would get mixed up in the different lines and get lost. It was scary to be lost.
In the scripture lesson today, Jesus says he has a special signal too -- his voice. Jesus said everyone in his flock, or class, will know his voice and will follow him when he calls. Jesus’ class is filled with lots of different people. Some of those people we might not think belong in our class, but Jesus said he has different classes and he wants them to all get along and be one big class. The special thing about Jesus being our teacher is that he knows each person and loves how we are all different. He doesn’t have favorites, he loves all of us the same.
Loving everyone in the class is easy for Jesus but can be hard for us. When people are very different from us it can be hard to find things to talk about and we might think it is better to not have them in our class. But Jesus wants us to love people like he does and asks us to try to be a friend to lots of different kinds of people. And Jesus knows it is harder for us so he forgives us when we aren’t loving to someone and give us another chance to be a good friend. Let’s pray for help this week loving people who are different than us.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for including us in your class. We love having you as a teacher and learning how to love others. Forgive us when we forget to love first, help us to remember you want everyone to belong in your class. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, April 22, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2018 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
- Good Shepherds? by Chris Keating -- Chris explores the ways our world clamors after shepherds whom we hope will be good shepherds.
- I Loved 'em, Everyone by Tom Willadsen -- Tom focuses on Jesus' capacity to love everyone.
- Sermon illustrations by Ron Love and Dean Feldmeyer.
- Worship resources by George Reed focusing on our search for ‘good shepherds’ and failure to look to God.
- Jesus Knows and Cares for Us -- Children's sermon by Bethany Peerbolt -- Kids have an idea what this is like when they are looked after by teachers. Jesus’ class is special though...
Good Shepherds?
by Chris Keating
Psalm 23, John 10:11-18
Not many people flock to Antelope, Montana. But if you’re an unemployed shepherd it may be just the place for you.
Antelope tops the list in Internet searches shepherding jobs in the United States. The duties haven’t changed much since Jesus’ time. Shepherds herd, graze, feed, and protect, day in and day out. No need worrying about how you’ll spend your free time, either. The job listing notes it's essentially a 24 hour a day, seven day a week job.
Bad shepherds need not apply. But that’s the problem, because apparently there are far more bad shepherds than good ones, though not all of them are wrangling sheep. Most are moguls, CEOs, politicians, or even entertainers. Even though we know the voice of the Good Shepherd, somehow we keep placing our trust in bad shepherds.
Some thought Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook might shepherd us into new and networked pastures. But Zuckerberg’s testimony before Congress continued what the New Yorker calls his “apology tour,” and showed that the shepherd of our status updates didn’t do enough to protect us from foreign interference in elections.
Others hoped Speaker of the House Paul Ryan might fend off the wolves. Yet he’s decided to set aside the speaker’s gavel and will retire from Congress in December. His decision marked an end to his role in shepherding Congress through entitlement reforms or even another attempt at dumping Obamacare.
Meanwhile, Missourians are wondering how they elected a bad shepherd as governor. Former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens won the governor’s seat in November, telegraphing suggestions that this square jawed, gun-firing inspirational speaker would land in the White House. Now, however, Greitens is awaiting trial on felony invasion of privacy charges. Last week he was denounced by his own party following an investigation of a particularly salacious and violent extra marital affair.
And then there’s 80-year old Bill Cosby, once hailed as America’s Dad, now standing trial on assault charges. The aging comic relies on assistance in walking and is no longer considered our de facto shepherd-in-chief.
Plenty of people want to be shepherds. But perhaps we should take a cue from the good folks of Antelope, Montana, and focus instead on what the job really requires. Fortunately, John’s gospel offers a brilliant sketch of just what is involved in leading God’s people toward safe pastures.
In the News
For whatever reason -- and there are plenty of them -- we are enchanted with bad shepherds. We allow them to move into our lives and soon they take over, like the children in Lord of the Flies. We elect them to office, worship them as celebrities, and allow them access into the private details of our digitized lives.
Bad shepherds will disappoint us time and again -- but still, like a family that repeats cycles of dysfunctional living time and again, we allow them to herd us into pastures which do not save.
Maybe it’s because we’ve allowed our shepherd sheep privilege to become abused or distorted. Like its cousin, attorney client privilege, which has become a bit of a trending Twitter topic this week, shepherd sheep privilege symbolizes a relationship of trust, confidence, and security.
The problem is that so many shepherds have abused that privilege. Mark Zuckerberg’s personal timeline, for example, is cluttered by more than a decade of saying sorry, not sorry to friends, employees and Facebook users. It reads, suggests the Washington Post, a bit like a record stuck on repeat. “All the while,” the article continues, “Facebook’s access to our personal data increases and little changes about the way Zuckerberg handles it.” Questions of trust loom large following his Capitol Hill apology tour, leading many to wonder, “In Zuckerberg do we trust?”
It’s not just social media, however. Take note of the way Missouri Governor Eric Greitens attempted to gain the confidence of voters. As Greitens rode Donald Trump’s outsider coattails straight into the Missouri Governor’s mansion in 2017, many began to see him as a future presidential contender. Largely unknown to Missourians, Greitens entered the campaign with ads selling himself as a a patriotic, gun-firing Navy SEAL, battle-tested and ready to lead. A vet who saw action in Iraq and Afghanistan, Greitens is a former Rhode’s Scholar who founded a charity benefitting veterans. Many saw in his eyes a fire and desire for higher office.
But shepherding has not been a particular strength for Greitens. He hasn’t formed relationships with members of his own party, a problem that has become particularly difficult for the governor as allegations concerning a violent sexual affair have emerged. Greitens has both acknowledged and apologized for the relationship, which took place before he was elected and which he claims was consensual.
The woman’s testimony before a panel of legislators investigating the governor indicated something different. Her vivid accounts described predatory behavior from the governor, including acting aggressively toward her, coercing her into sexual acts, and physically dominating the woman. Though she had intitially consented to the activities, she quickly became uncomfortable after Greitens blindfolded her, taped her hands and then pulled off her clothes. Greitens declined to testify before the state panel and faces trial next month in St. Louis on felony invasion of privacy charges.
Even fellow Republicans are now calling for Greitens to step aside.
Violating the sacred shepherd sheep privilege can be heard in the heart-wrenching testimonies which have emerged from the #MeToo movement, where untold stories of rape, assault, and harassment have emerged. But there are other examples of how shepherds have broken faith with sheep, including investigations into the foreign interference with United States elections, or news that President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer/fixer Michael Cohen is now under criminal investigation, or the horrendous images of innocent persons suffering the ravages of chemical weapons in Syria.
All of it is a reminder that bad shepherds are ubiquitous.
Add to the mix stories of political fundraiser’s paying off mistressess, billionaire oligarchs who live with little social consciousness, and the constant blurring of lines between celebrity and scandal, or even racism at the local Starbucks.
It’s overwhelming. It’s frightening. As a sheep might say, “It’s baad.”
In the Scripture
Psalm 23 and John 10 offer a corrective vision for sheep and shepherds. Though most commonly heard at funerals, Psalm 23 provides a counter narrative to the escapades and exploits of bad shepherding. Likewise, Jesus words in John 10 explicitly describe what’s involved with being a good shepherd.
Notice, however, that in John 10 Jesus does not describe or even name the ones he calls the bandits and thieves. Instead, he points those who are listening in a different direction. Those evil doers are certainly nearby and always ready to pounce. Yet Jesus is not pointing fingers or explicitly naming targets. Indeed, if we assume that his is speaking to both the Pharisees and to his disciples, then it is crucial to remember Judas is listening as well as Peter.
It’s an indicator that the Good Shepherd works differently. The Good Shepherd is indeed the gate by which all sheep -- smart, not so smart, over achievers and plain old cud chewing homebodies -- can enter and find safety.
While Jesus mentions the thieves and bandits throughout the discourse, he does not dwell on them or offer them the same weight as the description he provides of himself as the Good Shepherd. The bandits are neither specified nor identified. He does not draw up a good shepherd/bad shepherd dichotomy, but instead Jesus offers a stunning image of just what makes a good shepherd good.
The images are critical, and worth identifying. He is the gate, in whom life shall be found; he is the one willing to give up his life for those he loves; he is the one who cares for the sheep, who does not run away; he is the one who lives in intimate proximity with those to whom he has pledged his ultimate faithfulness. It is he who can be trusted, and not the hired hand that runs away in the face of danger.
Karoline Lewis, both in her Workingpreacher.org blog and in her commentary on John, offers a remarkable insight by connecting the discourse of John 10 to the story of the healing of the blind man in chapter nine. Jesus’ sermon in John 10 illustrates the power of his restoring, loving, and healing grace. He offers a parable of what love reveals, and how that love enfolds even a man born blind into the beloved community.
The strength of Jesus’ claim challenges his audience, dividing those who were listening. No wonder -- he’s more than a hired hand, more than a charismatic leader, more than a celebrity pushing a product or a leader garnering power. His love is revealed in his willingness to offer his life for those who have heard his voice.
In the Sermon
Jesus’ description of himself as the Good Shepherd is the way into this text. Rather than trying to set up a binary comparison of good and bad forms of leadership, the cue Jesus offers is a reminder of the overflowing goodness, abundance, and grace offered by the Good Shepherd. There is no contest, no comparison. Our congregations already know how long they have been duped by the bad shepherds. In this season of Easter, they now yearn for some tangible experience of the Good Shepherd’s care. Moreover, these texts also suggest just what it means to be a post-Easter church.
If we take his clue, then perhaps the narrative we might trace this week will begin with stories of people like William Barber II, a North Carolina pastor and president of Repairers of the Breach, a social justice organization dedicated to continuing Dr. Martin Luther King’s Poor People’s Campaign. Barber and others are shepherding movements and coalitions of poor people dedicated to creating change.
Another shepherd partnering with Barber is Presbyterian minister and theologian Liz Theoharis, founder of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice and a professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Recently, Theoharis stood among those she names as the coalition of the rejected -- the often competing folds of sheep blending unemployed miners from Easter Kentucky with Mississippi River delta farmworkers. They’re a politically mixed bag of folks commonly disconnected from each other. Yet Theoharis speaks with the voice and authority of a Good Shepherd.
She sees these sheep of differing flocks as one herd straining to be one as they listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd.
“The reality is poor whites, poor blacks and poor Latinos ought to work together,” said Barber recently. “We have to form in this country a coalition of the rejected, and the rejected have to lead a national revival to challenge both Democrats and Republicans.”
Note how Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson responded to the incident in Philadelphia last weekend where two African-American men were arrested for trespassing, even though they were just waiting for their colleague. “I will fix this,” Johnson said -- whether that is another verse from the Zuckerberg hymnal or the voice of a Good Shepherd committed to the selfless vulnerability described Jesus will only be seen over time.
Meanwhile, sheep have a lot of work to do. Straining against the biting wind, they must lean toward the one trusted voice which can be heard over the din of the farmyard bleating. The sheep must lean in to listen for the Good Shepherds who are willing to offer their lives so that the most vulnerable might find new life. Like Jesus, no one is doing this for them.
No one is doing this, it seems, because of trust that arises from the poignant declaration: “I know my own and my own know me.”
SECOND THOUGHTS
I Loved 'em, Everyone
by Tom Willadsen
John 10:11-18
T.G. Sheppard was a popular country singer in the early ‘80s, who took his stage name from this morning’s gospel lesson. His lone appearance on the pop Top 40 was “I Love ‘em Everyone.” Here’s part of the refrain:
Big, little or short or tall, wish I could've kept them all
I loved 'em every one
(Written by Phil Sampson, recorded by T.G. Sheppard)
At first I thought this isn’t really good sermon material for a proper, mainline congregation, even in 2018, but imagine it really was The Good Shepherd singing those same words…, when wrenched from their original context apt for how we see Christ? He wishes he could have kept us all; (That is, some of us have strayed.) “Big, little or short or tall”…isn’t that everyone? Even kids with chicken pox? Christ loves us, everyone.
I have to confess that the image of a church’s pastor as shepherd has made me a little sheepish during my career, because of our low regard for sheep. Sheep aren’t very bright; symbolically they are naïve, weak and defenseless. Sheep need a strong, vigilant shepherd to keep the wolves at bay. They need collies to nip at their heels and drive them into the fold, where they will be safe.
At my ordination I was very pleased that my friend Augusto, a native of Ecuador gave me the charge and reminded me that I had already begun toiling in the Lord’s vineyard. His accent made it sound like “bean yard,” which is much more humble place to minister. I was pleased that he did not reference my “shepherding a flock.”
Actually, sheep are sophisticated at protecting the vulnerable among them. When a member of the flock is ill or lame, the other sheep surround and protect the vulnerable one, the one predators are most likely to attack. I heard a large animal vet tell me once, “A sick sheep is a dead sheep.” By the time she was able to spot the ailing sheep, it had gone so long sheltered and protected by the other members of the herd that it was very sick. Sheep are not hunters, but their herd mentality -- at least when it protects the weak and vulnerable -- may be something we might want to recommend to modern Christians.
I have to digress a bit to Luke 15. Before Jesus launches into the Parable of the Prodigal Son and His Brother, Jesus gets running start with two more modest images. First is the shepherd who leaves the 99 to seek the 100th, because a sheep separated from the herd is exposed and easy prey for a predator. The 99 might be all right for a while on their own. But also, the point of the parable is that one in 100 matters. As does one in ten when the woman turns her house upside down to find the tenth coin. As does the one out of two sons…the focus of those parables gets narrower and narrower, yet each speaks to God’s extravagant love and concern for everyone.
(As for my being sheepish at pastoral imagery; I herd you. I wool stop the puns now; and if you don’t like puns, then flock ewe!)
Psalm 23 may be the most recognized passage of scripture. I cannot recall its first line without picturing a man I often used to see on what they now call the Red Line in Chicago. The guy appeared to be homeless, but I can’t say for sure. He would rock back and forth and intone, just above a whisper, “The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord is my shepherd…” The words were like a mantra, or a sonic security blanket. And I’d look out the window at the tenements right next to the el tracks on the northside of Chicago and wonder, when the last time sheep grazed there. A century ago? What made these words so comforting, so far from their origin?
I was called to make a bedside visit to someone who believed she was dying and wanted to reconnect with The Church. She had not been Presbyterian per se, but I was close enough to comfort her in her fear of death. I asked if she had a favorite passage of scripture, or one that would comfort her in that moment. She asked me to recite the 23rd Psalm. I did and she moved her lips silently with my words. When I stopped I asked her what her favorite part of the psalm was. I watched her face as she recued the tape loop in her memory. She stopped at “he restores my soul.” “That’s my favorite line,” she said.
“Good choice,” I replied, “did you notice that’s present tense? Right now God is restoring your soul.”
It took a while for that idea to settle. As she faced death, God was in the process of restoring her soul.
Even people who have never seen a sheep know this psalm, which can make it difficult to preach, or to find something new to say about it. Protection, security, comfort, someone watching over you
In the John reading, Jesus identifies as the good shepherd, different from the hired shepherd who does not protect the flock. The good shepherd knows the sheep -- and the sheep know the good shepherd. There’s a connection, a relationship between sheep and shepherd. Jesus says “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So that there will be one flock, one shepherd.” [John 10:11, NRSV] Sounds to me like everyone’s part of the same flock, overseen by the same shepherd, or will be at some point.
So where does the Acts lesson inform all this pastoral imagery? At the start of chapter 3 in Acts, Peter and John encounter a crippled man who asks for alms outside the Temple. Peter does not give any money, but instead, calls on the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, extends his right hand, and the man’s feet and ankles are steady and he can walk again! Everyone at the Temple had seen this man, just as people in my town see the same people asking for change in the parking lot at Wal-Mart. This commonly known, and supported, crippled man can walk, and it’s a miracle.
Next Peter launches into a sermon about how the prophets in the Hebrew scriptures all pointed to Jesus of Nazareth being the messiah, the Christ. This irked the priests, the captain of the Temple and the Sadducees. Some of the names are familiar from the “trial” of Jesus on what we call Maundy Thursday. The Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection of the dead, or spirits or angels. They only went by the written law, which set them apart from the Pharisees who were experts in the oral tradition of legal interpretation. [Sort of like some members of the judiciary favor an originalist reading of the Constitution, while others believe that the Constitution was intended to be a living document, whose interpretation would by necessity change over time.] This difference between the Sadducees and Pharisees makes their back-to-back attempts to trick Jesus in Matthew 22. Specifically, Jesus tells the Sadducees they know neither God nor the scriptures. So they were probably a little steamed when some of his followers are preaching to the whole crowd of people at the temple, following healing the crippled man. They are arrested, and held overnight, because it was late, and who had time for a trial.
The next day, our lesson begins here, the elders, rulers and scribes with Annas, the high priest, Caiaphas, John and Alexander and all who were of the high priestly family gathered to hear what Peter and John had to say.
Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and left no doubt that the crippled man had been healed by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, “whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.” Peter cites Psalm 118, but tweaks it a little, calling them out, exposing them. He says Jesus was “The stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.”
[If this happened on a playground in Peoria, Illinois in the mid-70s, someone would say, “ooh, char!”]
{And in one sense, haven’t we all been on a playground in Peoria, Illinois?}
The capstone to Peter’s sermon, however, is perhaps the third-most powerful foundational sentence for Christianity, after John 3:16 and John 14:6. “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4:12]
If you cannot preach like Peter, if you cannot pray like Paul, you can tell the love of Jesus and say “He died for all.” (There is a Balm in Gilead.)
The First John passage sort of circles back to John 13, and The New Commandment, but adds a more personal dimension. We know love by what Christ did, laying down his life for us, so we also should lay down our lives for others. That circles back to the task of the herd to protect and shield the weak and vulnerable, confident in the care that The Good Shepherd embodies.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Evil
During his presidency Donald Trump has used his Twitter account and public speeches to call many individuals by very unflattering names. Most of the time the words he uses are inflammatory. And, of course, many view his disregard for any sense of decency to be the behavior of an adolescent. But, perhaps, the President’s latest pronouncement can be lifted up as appropriate. After it was reported that President Bashar al-Assad of Syria used a poison gas, which was a mixture of chlorine gas and a nerve agent, to kill over 40 people in the town of Douma, Trump denounced Assad in a televised address. President Trump said, “These are not the actions of a man. They are the crimes of a monster instead.”
Application: Jesus was not understood and was rejected by the scholars and rulers of Judaism. They rejected the stone that was actually the cornerstone. John discusses those who seek the world’s goods instead of truth. There are many monster men in society that do not understand truth, justice and love.
*****
Discipleship
Even though Jesus instructed us that we will not know the day or the hour in which he will return, there are many prophets that seem to have figured out when that day and hour will be. It is my privilege to inform this worshiping congregation that the world is going to end tomorrow, Monday, April 23rd. David Meade is a recognized end times theorist and numerologist. Though he predicted the end of the world in 2003, 2012 and 2017, this time he is sure of his calculations. He based his prediction on Revelation 12:1-2 which reads: “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.” On April 23 the sun and moon, as well as the planet Jupiter, will be in the constellation of Virgo. Virgo represents the Virgin Mary, and Jupiter represent the Messiah. Jupiter with its red spot on its side represents the Messiah who was wounded for our transgressions. Meade believes that this celestial alignment exactly represents Revelation 12.
Application: Meade, and others like him, can continue with their fantasies. But we, as practicing Christians, are called to love, truth and action.
*****
Truth and Action
Ralph Drollinger is a seven-foot tall former pro basketball player who has become a pastor. The 63-year-old pastor describes himself as, “Just a jock with some bad knees.” He played one season with the Dallas Mavericks in 1980, but left to pursue a career as a minister. His wife Danielle at the time was the executive director of a political action committee in California that specialized in getting Christians elected to office. But Danielle became frustrated because once in office the elected officials “would soon lose their Christian moorings.” This led the couple to begin a Bible study in Sacramento, the capital of California, for Christian politicians. They were then able to expand, what they called Capital Ministries, to 43 other state capitols. When some of the state legislatures were elected to the United States House of Representatives, Drollinger began a Bible study in the House. When these representatives were then elected to the Senate, Drollinger began a Senate Bible study as well. In March 2017, two months after Donald Trump took office, the same process took place to establish a Bible study for cabinet members. The study was first suggested by Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General, and Tom Price, who was Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The study meets every Wednesday for 60 to 90 minutes. The location of the conference room where they gather is kept confidential by the Secret Service. Ten members of the cabinet are sponsors of the group, but many other government employees are welcome. Vice-President Michael Pence is an active participant. Drollinger does believe in separation of church and state, but qualifies it with these words saying, “I believe in institutional separation, but not in influential separation.”
Application: We are instructed by John that we are not only to love in word and speech, but also in truth and action.
*****
Preaching / Witnessing
I now live in South Carolina, but I am originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. So, whenever I see Pittsburgh making headline news I pay particular attention, especially when the news is disturbing. The newspaper The Times, of Beaver, Pennsylvania, reported that the “Pittsburgh region has faith but not religion.” A study revealed that while 76 percent of the people in the Pittsburgh region felt that religion was at least somewhat important, only 29 percent attended worship weekly. The study also found that 40 percent of the people in the Pittsburgh region only went to church several times a year. Pittsburgh, I am sure, is representative of many American cities. The article followed the spiritual lives of several individual to highlight the problems of church attendance. One individual was Ben Oaks. As a child he attended a small church, and then as a young adult he attended for a short time a megachurch. He found both experiences offered the same disappointments. Oaks said, “It’s something that never really struck me. The sermons were never something that was personal for my life. I think if the sermons had a bearing toward people’s everyday lives and not just things from the Bible, it might be a different story.”
Application: In our lectionary readings we read of individuals who speak and witness with a firm faith and a bold message. And we also encounter a message that is very relevant to our daily living. Let us be sure that we are bold in our witness and that our message is very relevant to daily living.
*****
Sheepherding
Simon Bramhall was considered one of the best and most proficient liver, spleen and pancreatic surgeons in Great Britain. For twelve years he worked out of Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, West Midlands. Bramhall was especially recognized for his skill as a transplant surgeon. Except, now Bramhall has pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by beating. In two liver transplant surgeries, one man and one women, he used an electric beam that is typically used to seal blood vessels, to inscribe his initials “SB” on the two livers. When the women had to return for additional liver surgery, the seared initials were discovered by another physician. Tony Badenoch, who is prosecuting the case, said that Bramhall’s actions were a part of a “highly unusual complex case” and that so far it was “without legal precedent in criminal law.”
Application: Shepherds are to care for their sheep, not beat them.
*****
Sheepherding
Patrick Reed in his previous 16 starts in a golf major only once finished in a tie for second place, and his other showings were not impressive. On Sunday, April 8, on his 17th major start, Reed won the coveted green jacket at the Augusta National. He was able to put his arms into that green jacket with a one stroke victory for a total 15-under 273. The 27-year-old Texan said the difference at this PGA competition was his mind set. Reed said, “In the past I put too much pressure on myself.” He went of to say, “I tried so hard to hit the perfect shots.” But this time it was different as he said, “I was just like, ‘Hey, it’s golf. Go play.’”
Application: Although being a disciple of Jesus is serious business, we should enjoy serving him.
*****
Sheepherding
William Booth was born in 1829, in Sneinton, Nottingham. His father was a Methodist pastor who made a modest wage. But when the family fell into poverty, William, who was 13-years-old, was apprenticed in 1842 to a pawnbroker. His apprenticeship ended in 1848. Unemployed, he left Sneinton a year later and moved to London. In London, Booth worked as a pawnbroker and as a lay preacher for the Methodists. Eventually Booth became a full-time Methodist pastor, but he did not like serving a parish church as he realized that his gift was evangelism. William Booth left the Methodist church and became an independent evangelist. As an evangelist he established The East London Christian Mission in 1865. The name was later changed to The Salvation Army. Booth’s approach to missions was based on what he called the “Three S’s – soup, soap, salvation.” Booth’s intention was to weave the message of the gospel with the practical support of meeting the immediate needs, and then helping individuals permanently improve their life’s circumstances. In what is probably Booth’s most famous speech he said, “While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight; while children go hungry, as they do now I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight, I'll fight to the very end!”
Application: As a shepherd we will fight so others can have soup, soap and salvation.
*****
Sheepherding
The 39th President of the United Sates has just published his 32nd book. Jimmy Carter simply titled his current book Faith. Faith, Carter realizes, is something the people of our nation have lost. Americans have lost faith in democracy, they have lost faith in equality, they have lost faith in freedom, they have lost faith in integrity and they have lost faith in education. These are just few of the things that Carter lifted up as examples of the faith crisis in our nation. Carter the went on to explain why he wrote his book with a one-word title. Carter said, “And those losses of faith I think precipitated my using, you might say, 93 years of experience and trying to provide the answer of what faith means to us and how can we apply our existing faith or potential faith, if we don’t have it yet, into answering these questions that face us in our daily life.”
Application: As good shepherds we try to encourage the faith of others.
*****
Sheepherding
The 39th President of the United Sates has just published his 32nd book. Jimmy Carter simply titled his current book Faith. The Religious News Service interviewed Carter about his book and other ideas and thoughts that he may have. Carter was asked during the interview to give his thoughts on the current tensions with North Korea and Syria. Carter said there was something that he immediately learned after he was elected president. Carter said, “I had the ability with 15,000 or more nuclear weapons, along with those owned by the Soviet Union, to wipe out all living creatures on earth.” Carter went on to say, “And so that still is a responsibility or a duty that addresses every president in office.”
Application: As shepherds we are to protect the lives of others and the life of our environment.
*****
Sheepherding
Pope Francis has been severally criticized by the conservatives in the Roman Catholic Church for being less concerned about doctrine and more concerned about social issues. In partial response to those criticisms the Pope recently published a 103-page apostolic exhortation titled “Gaudete et Exultate” which means “Rejoice and Be Glad.” A central theme in the document is holiness. The Pope wrote in the beginning that the document was not meant “to be a treatise on holiness,” but the Pope wrote the purpose of the document was to “re-propose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time.” In Gaudete et Exultate the Pope wrote, “Seeing and acting with mercy: That is holiness.” In another section Pope Francis wrote, “Sowing peace all around us. This is holiness.”
Application: A shepherd must be a holy person.
**********
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Speaking Truth to Power, Especially in the Faith Community
- Cardinal O’Malley Bans Dissenting Priest from Speaking
In 2011, Fr. Helmut Schuller, the founder of the Austrian Priests’ Initiative, published a “Call to Disobedience” which was reportedly signed by 10% of Austrian priests. In it, he championed reform of Catholic teaching and practice to allow married and female priests and the reception of Holy Communion by non-Catholics and divorced and remarried Catholics.
Even though Schüller’s archbishop had stripped him of the title “Monsignor” for his frequent and public acts of dissent, he was invited, in 2013, to speak at the St. Susanna’s Parish in Boston as part of the parish’s program of guest speakers, some of which are Catholics who hold different, even dissenting views from those of the Vatican.
This time, however, Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley forbade Fr. Schüller from speaking on archdiocesan-owned property and instructed St. Susanna Parish to cancel Schüller’s scheduled talk.
Some at St. Susanna’s parish are reportedly upset and a bit confused. Deacon Larry Bloom of St. Susanna’s Parish said this is the first time they’ve been ordered to cancel one of their many talks.
The talk was not cancelled altogether, but instead was moved to the First Church of Dedham, a Unitarian Universalist church.
- The Backlash Effect
In 2006, the University of Michigan conducted a study that verified an observation first made by Sr. Francis Bacon in 17th century. It’s called the “Backlash Effect.”
Basically, here’s how it works:
When people are confronted with facts that contradict opinions or convictions that they have strongly held, rather than change their minds, they will tend to reject the facts and hold on to their erroneous opinions or convictions even stronger than before.
In other words, if you prove to a person that they are wrong, the odds are that they will reject your proof and hold even more strongly to their wrong opinion.
Maybe this is why it is so often dangerous and more often futile to speak truth to power, even within the faith community. People do not find truth to be persuasive.
And maybe that’s what Kar Barth was thinking about when he said, “Christians don’t have to argue better than atheists; they just have to live better.”
The Role of the Shepherd
- Shepherds vs. Leaders
While acknowledging that leaders of ten shepherd and shepherds often lead, pastor, writer and ministry consultant, Paul Alexander, offers these differences in the two styles of relating to those we lead.
Leaders Lead and Shepherds Shepherd
The Scriptures define leadership as a spiritual gift (Romans 12:8). Shepherding is an analogy that Jesus used along with various writers of the New Testament to describe to an agrarian culture what spiritual leadership looks and acts like.
People are Led by Leaders and Cared for by Shepherds
People follow leaders because they inspire people. They follow shepherds because shepherds know their name, know what’s going on in their lives and provide more intimate care to their flock.
Shepherds have their Eyes on the Flock while Leaders have their Eyes on the Hill
Shepherds and leaders naturally think about and fix their gaze on different things. Shepherds are consumed with the state of the flock while leaders naturally drift toward the future and where they’re taking people.
Not all leaders are shepherds, but they would do well to make sure that they have shepherds on their staff if they are not.
http://www.paulalexanderblog.com/leadership/the-difference-between-a-shepherd-and-a-leader/#.Ws_rtUxFyUl
- Fun Facts About Sheep & Shepherds
The sheep is probably the most common metaphor in the Bible, mentioned more than 500 times and more than any other animal but, for 21st century western people, most of what we know about sheep comes from information that was collected nearly 2,000 years ago. Here’s some modern information to help round out your sheep-sense:- Sheep were domesticated 10,000 years ago in Central Asia. There are over a billion, domesticated sheep in the world.
- The oldest organized industry is raising sheep.
- The sound of a female sheep is called bleating and her offspring can identify its mother by the sound she makes.
- Sheep have poor eyesight but to compensate, they have been blessed with an excellent sense of hearing.
- Sheep do not have teeth in their upper front jaw. A sheep has only eight teeth, which it grows two a year.
- Milk from Sheep is often used to make gourmet cheese.
- Healthy lambs can stand and join the herd within minutes of being born.
- On an average, a sheep consumes 2 to 4.5 pounds of food daily.
- The average weight of a lamb at birth is 5 - 8 pounds.
- Sheep prefer to walk into the wind and uphill, rather than downhill and with the wind.
- Of all the red meats, lamb meat has the lowest cholesterol level.
- It takes the small intestines of 11 sheep to make one tennis racket.
- Domestic sheep can adapt themselves in a wide variety of habitats ranging from temperate mountain forests to desert conditions.
- Dolly, a female sheep, was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell. She was born on 5 July 1996.
- Wool, sheared from sheep, is the most commonly used fiber in the world.
- Sheep flock together because they are timid and nervous by nature and easily frightened.
http://www.interestingfunfacts.com/fun-facts-about-sheep.html#8d2u0wmism9g2RZe.99
- Wandering Sheep
Years ago, when I was preparing to preach on the Good Shepherd passage, I asked a farmer in my church to tell me about his experience with sheep. I no longer remember his exact words but the following paraphrase is pretty close:
“Sheep are shy and timid, their eyesight isn’t very good and, because they have good hearing, they are easily spooked. So they tend to stay together, you know, with the flock. When they do wander off it isn’t out of rebellion or anger or anything like that, like people do, it’s because they aren’t paying attention.
“They have their head down eating grass and they see a piece that looks kinda good out of the corner of their eye so they move over and get that piece, then they see another piece out of the corner of their eye and they move over and get that one. And, little by little, they just move away from the flock a few inches at a time until they look up and they’re all alone and lost. That’s when you hear ‘em, bleating their hearts out, calling for someone to come and save ‘em.”
Now THAT, will preach.
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship:
Leader: God calls us as a shepherd calls the sheep.
People: We follow our God and we lack for nothing.
Leader: God invites us to feed in pastures of plenty.
People: God leads us beside the calming waters.
Leader: Even in the darkest of times, we are not afraid.
People: In the presence of God we will dwell forever.
OR
Leader: The Good Shepherd calls us together today.
People: We come seeking the food the Shepherd has for us.
Leader: The Good Shepherd guards us against those who would destroy us.
People: We trust in God care and love for us.
Leader: As God cares for us we are called to care for others.
People: In gratitude we offer others the care we have found.
Hymns and Songs:
“God of Grace and God of Glory”
UMH: 577
H82: 594/595
PH: 420
NCH: 436
CH: 464
LBW: 415
ELA: 705
W&P: 569
AMEC: 62
STLT: 115
Renew: 301
“The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
UMH: 38
H82: 645/646
PH: 171
NCH: 248
LBW: 456
ELA: 502
Renew: 106
“Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life”
UMH: 427
H82: 609
PH: 408
NCH: 543
CH: 665
LBW: 429
ELA: 719
W&P: 591
AMEC: 561
“By Gracious Powers”
UMH: 517
H82: 695/696
PH: 342
NCH: 413
ELA: 626
W&P: 75
“We Shall Overcome”
UMH: 533
AAHH: 542
NNBH: 501
NCH: 570
CH: 630
W&P: 512
STLT: 169
“Lord, Speak to Me”
UMH: 463
PH: 426
NCH: 531
ELA: 676
W&P: 593
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
UMH: 140
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELA: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
Renew: 249
“The Steadfast Love of the Lord”
CCB: 28
Renew: 23
“Your Loving Kindness Is Better than Life”
CCB: 26
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who is the true Good Shepherd:
Grant us the wisdom to seek you
and those who are led by you as our guides;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you are the true Good Shepherd seeking to lead all of creation to fulfillment. As we worship you open our eyes to see that you are the Way. Help us to seek out the assistance of other leaders who are also on the Way. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our blindly following those who lead us astray.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You are our Good Shepherd and we know that you are the one who leads us to an abundant, joyful life and yet we follow others instead. We know that what they do and say is not in accord with your ways and yet we think that their leadership will bring us to a good place. Call us back once again to your flock and tune our ears to listen to you. Amen.
Leader: God is our Good Shepherd who wants to lead us to life. Receive God’s grace and follow the Way of Life.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory are yours, O God, for you are the Good Shepherd seeking to lead all into your fold.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You are our Good Shepherd and we know that you are the one who leads us to an abundant, joyful life and yet we follow others instead. We know that what they do and say is not in accord with your ways and yet we think that their leadership will bring us to a good place. Call us back once again to your flock and tune our ears to listen to you.
We give you thanks for all the ways you try to lead us to life. You have given us scriptures, the saints, and the Church for our guidance. You have been faithful to reach us even when we have been unresponsive to your voice.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all of us who find ourselves lost and on the road that leads to destruction and death instead of to wholeness and life. We pray for those who find sickness, death and grief obstacles to hearing God’s voice. We pray for those who find it difficult to believe in a loving God because of the hatred and violence that surrounds them.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Sheep are in need of a shepherd because they have very poor eyesight. Without a shepherd they would find it very hard to find food and water. The shepherd helps them and takes care of them. Just like a shepherd helps the sheep, God leads us. Talk about the different ways God leads us. Pastors, teachers, parents, Bible, music, prayer, the Church.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Jesus Knows and Cares for Us
by Bethany Peerbolt
John 10:11-18
Jesus tells us just how well he knows us and how much he cares for us. Kids have an idea what this is like when they are looked after by teachers. Jesus’ class is special though. It includes lots of different people and Jesus loves each student very much.
If you have a whistle or a bell you can bring it to show an example of how a teacher gets their class back in from the playground.
Say something like:
When I was in school my teachers had a special bell or whistle they would use to call us back from the playground. Each class knew which whistle or bell was theirs and would listen for the signal to line up and go inside. Do your teachers have a special way to call you back inside? (pause for answers) If someone missed the signal the teacher would send a person from the class to go out onto the playground and find the missing person. Sometimes if lots of teachers signaled at the same time kids would get mixed up in the different lines and get lost. It was scary to be lost.
In the scripture lesson today, Jesus says he has a special signal too -- his voice. Jesus said everyone in his flock, or class, will know his voice and will follow him when he calls. Jesus’ class is filled with lots of different people. Some of those people we might not think belong in our class, but Jesus said he has different classes and he wants them to all get along and be one big class. The special thing about Jesus being our teacher is that he knows each person and loves how we are all different. He doesn’t have favorites, he loves all of us the same.
Loving everyone in the class is easy for Jesus but can be hard for us. When people are very different from us it can be hard to find things to talk about and we might think it is better to not have them in our class. But Jesus wants us to love people like he does and asks us to try to be a friend to lots of different kinds of people. And Jesus knows it is harder for us so he forgives us when we aren’t loving to someone and give us another chance to be a good friend. Let’s pray for help this week loving people who are different than us.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for including us in your class. We love having you as a teacher and learning how to love others. Forgive us when we forget to love first, help us to remember you want everyone to belong in your class. Amen.
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The Immediate Word, April 22, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2018 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
